That headline is a bit misleading. It’s not “foolish” to charge a battery to 100% in general—but whether it’s ideal depends on the type of battery and how you use it.
Most modern phones and laptops use lithium-ion batteries. For those, the real science says:
What actually affects battery health
Lithium-ion batteries age faster when they are:
- Kept at 100% charge for long periods
- Frequently drained to 0%
- Exposed to high heat
So the “problem” isn’t reaching 100% briefly—it’s staying there under stress.
What’s generally recommended
For better long-term battery health:
- Keep daily use in the range of 20%–80%
- Avoid leaving it plugged in at 100% overnight all the time (especially in heat)
- Use “optimized charging” features if your device has them
Many devices now include built-in protection:
- They slow charging near 100%
- Or pause at ~80–90% until you need it
When charging to 100% is totally fine
- When you need full battery for travel or long days
- When the device has smart charge management
- Occasionally doing full charges does not damage the battery
The bottom line
Charging to 100% is not “wrong”—it just slightly increases long-term wear if done constantly and left sitting there.
If you want, tell me your device (Android, iPhone, laptop model), and I can give more specific, practical charging advice for it.
